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HOMILY XII
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-- Adam, on transgressing the commandment, suffered a twofold
disaster. He lost the pure and splendid possession of his
nature, which was after the image and likeness of God; and he
lost also that very image in which was laid up for him according
to promise all the heavenly inheritance.
-- We do not say that man was entirely lost, destroyed, and
died; he died for God, but he lives by his own nature.
-- QUESTION: How can one be poor in spirit, especially when he
is inwardly conscious that he is a changed man, and has made
progress, and has come to a knowledge and understanding which he
did not possess before?
ANSWER: Until a man acquires these things and makes progress, he
is not poor in spirit, but thinks highly of himself; but when he
comes to this understanding and point of progress, grace itself
teaches him to be poor in spirit, which means that a man being
righteous and chosen of God does not esteem himself to be
anything, but holds his soul in debasement and disregard, as if
he knew nothing and had nothing, even though he knows and has.
And such a thought becomes as it were a part of nature and
rooted in a man's mind. Do you not see how our forefather
Abraham, elect as he was, described himself as "dust and ashes"
(Genesis 18:27); and David, anointed to be king, had God with
him, and yet what does he say? "I am a worm and no man, a very
scorn of men, and the outcast of the people" (Psalms 21:7).
-- Those therefore who desire to be fellow-heirs with these, and
fellow-citizens of the heavenly city, and to be glorified with
them, ought to have this humility of wisdom, and not to think
themselves to be anything, but to keep the heart contrite.
-- If thou lovest the glories of men, and desirest to be
worshipped, and seekest repose, thou goest off the path. You
must be crucified with the Crucified One, suffer with Him that
suffered, that so you may be glorified with Him that is
glorified. The bride must needs suffer with the Bridegroom, and
so become partner and fellow-heir with Christ. It is not
permitted without sufferings, and without the rough, straight,
narrow path, to enter into the city of the Saints, and be at
rest, and reign with the King to ages without end.
-- Now we know that the whole creation of God is governed by
God. He it was that made heaven and earth, animals, creeping
things, beasts. We see them all, but do not know the number of
them. What man is there that knows? God only, Who is in all
things, even in the unborn offspring of the animals. Does He
not know the things that are under the earth, and that are above
the heavens?
-- Let us then leave these things, and rather seek, like good
men of business, to gain possession of a heavenly inheritance
and the things that are profitable to our souls. Let us learn
to gain possessions that will stay by us. If you, who are but
human, begin to search the thoughts of God and to say, "I have
found out something and comprehend it," the human mind will be
found surpassing the thoughts of God. But in this you are much
mistaken; and the more you desire to search and get to the
bottom, the more you get out of your depth, and fail to
comprehend anything. These visitations of His which happen to
you -- what He works day by day in you and how -- these are
beyond expression or comprehension, you can do nothing but
receive them with thankfulness, and believe. Have you been able
to take cognizance of your own soul from the time when you were
born till now? If so, declare to me the thoughts that spring up
in your from dawn to dusk. Tell me the cogitations of three
days. Nay, you cannot. If then you could not comprehend the
thoughts of your own soul, how can you find out the thoughts and
mind of God?
-- Nay, eat as much bread as you find, and leave the wide earth
to pursue its way; go to the brink of the river, and drink as
much as you need, and pass on, and seek not to know whence it
comes or how it flows. Do your best to have your foot cured, or
the disease of your eye, that you may see the light of the sun,
but do not enquire how much light the sun has, or in what sign
it rises. Take that which is given for your use. Why do you go
off to the hills and try to discover how many wild asses and
other beasts dwell there? The babe, when it comes to its
mother's breast, takes the milk and thrives; it does not search
for the root and well-spring from which it flows so. It sucks
the milk, and empties the whole measure; and another hour passes
-- the breast fills up. The babe knows nothing of it, nor the
mother either, although the Lord in the depth, there you find
Him. If you seek in the water, you find Him there, doing
wonders. If you seek Him in the den, there you find Him between
two lions, guarding the righteous Daniel. If you seek Him in
fire, there you find Him, succoring His servants. If you seek
Him in the mountain, there you find Him with Elias and Moses.
He is everywhere -- beneath the earth, and above the Heavens,
and within us as well. He is everywhere. So too your own soul
is near you, and within you, and without you; for wherever you
please, in countries far away, there your mind is, whether
westward or eastward, or in the skies; there it is found.
-- Let us then seek above all things to have the brand and seal
of the Lord upon us; because in the day of judgment, when God
will make the separation, and all the tribes of the earth, even
all Adam, are gathered together, when the good Shepherd calls
His own flock, all those who have the brand recognize their own
Shepherd, and the Shepherd takes knowledge of those who have His
own seal, and gathers them together from all the nations. Those
that are His hear His voice, and go behind Him. The world is
divided into two parts, and one flock is dark, which goes into
eternal fire, and one if full of light, which is led up to the
heavenly rest. What we now have acquired within our souls, the
same then shines and is manifested and clothes our bodies with
glory. END
from Fr. Seraphim Rose,
Saints Barsanuphius and John: Guidance Toward Spiritual Life
Platina, California: St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood, 1990), pp. 151 - 154
To purchase a copy of this wonderful volume on-line, just follow this link:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0938635190/innerlightproducA/
[Taken from: innerlightpublications January 25, 2004]
